Presvyteros diplēs timēs axios, or, The true dignity of St. Paul's elder exemplified in the life of ... Mr. Owen Stockton ... with a collection of his observations, experiences and evidences recorded by his own hand : to which is added his funeral sermon / by John Fairfax ...

Doctr. Believers are victorious over Death through Jesus Christ.

From whence the fourth will be inferred by most just and due Consequence, Thanks be to God.

In speaking to which, that we may the more commend and magnifie the Victory, we will,

First, Represent to you the Enemy over which the Victory is gotten, viz. Death. Cor∣poral death, for as is the Resurrection such must be the Death. The Resurrection which the Apostle here argueth is of the body. vers. 35. How are the dead raised up? And with what

body do they come? vers. 44. It is sown a Na∣tural body, it is raised a Spiritual body. And vers. 53. This corruptible must put on Incor∣ruption, and this mortal must put on Immorta∣lity. Such therefore must be the Death: Con∣cerning which as an Enemy take this account.

1. It is a spoiling Enemy. That devests a man of all his wordly Enjoyments, Houses and Lands, Gold and Silver, the fruits of the Earth, the encrease of Corn and Wine, the pleasures of the flesh, sensual delights, the light of the Sun, Society with men, Conversation with friends, the Comfort of Relations, Hus∣band, Wife, Father, Mother, Sons and Daughters, Brethren and Sisters, How sweet, near and dear are these to the Living? But when Death cometh it spoils him of all, and puts an utter, and everlasting end to his use and enjoyment of them, and turneth him naked out of the world. Psal. 49. 16, 17. Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the Glory of his house is encreased. For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him, and vers. 19. They shall never see light. Which our Saviour exempli∣fieth in a Parable Luk. 12. 16. to vers. 20. The rich mans ground brought forth plenti∣fully, till he said to his Soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years, take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But the sad tidings of Death are next brought him, This night shall thy Soul be required. And what is

the Consequence? Whose shall those things be which thou hast provided? Not thine, be sure. All thy interest in them is lost for ever. It was Hezekia's Lamentation when it was told him. that he should die, Isa. 38. 11. I shall behold man no more with the inhabitants of the world. And as Death spoils a man of all his possessions, so also of his projects before him, Ps. 146. 4. His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his Earth; in that very day his thoughts perish: And of all his hopes too. Job. 27. 8. What is the hope of the hyprocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his Soul? Death is a spoiling Enemy.

2. It is a Surprising enemy. It cometh up∣on a man as a thief in the night, 1 Thes. 5. 2. when he little dreameth of it, and taketh him as a snare, Eccl. 9. 12. Man knoweth not his time—As the birds are caught in the snare; so are the Sons of men snared by death in an evil time when it falleth suddenly upon them. Every one may say as Isaac, Gen. 27. 2. I know not the day of my death. At an hour when ye think not, saith Christ the Son of man cometh, Luk. 12. 40. The man we mentioned even now, was confident of many years before him, and promis∣ed himself a merry long life, Luk. 12. 19. yet ver. 20. He that knew said to him, Hac Nocte: This night thou must die. Who knoweth what shall be on the morrow? or what a day may bring forth?

Nemo tam Divos habuit faventes, Crastinum ut posset sibi polliceri.

Was not Nabal in his plenty Jobs Children in their feasting, Nadab and Abihu in their offering He∣rod in his pride, Belshazzar in his cups, Zimri and Cozbi 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 &c. surprised by this Enemie?

3. It is a destructive Enemy. Destruction and Death are joyned together, Job. 28 22. yea this is the very name of Death, Ps. 88. 11. shall thy loving kindness be declared in the grave? or thy faithfulness in Destruction? Ps. 103. 4. who redeemeth thy life from Destruction, i. e. death. A dead man is reduced to his first principle, the Earth, The body returns to the dust from whence it came, and this is turning man to Destruction. Ps. 90. 3. If a man were Sur∣prised and spoiled of all that he had without him, and should yet escape with his life, though naked, it were a sore evil, yet such as might be en∣dured; a great loss, but such as might be repaired. But Death spoils a man of himself; taketh down the goodly frame and Constitution of; Nature Cuts a man asunder, and divideth Soul from body. God taketh away his Soul, Job. 27. 8. Her Soul was in departing, for she died, Gen. 35. 18. Thy Soul shall be required, Luk. 12. 20. So as no ground of hope is left to a dying man. Life is a fundamental Being, Take away that and ye take away all. The dead are not, Joseph is not, Gen. 42. Lo, he was not, Ps. 37. 36. Job. 14. 7, 8, 9, 10. There is hope of a tree, if it be cut down that it will Sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease. Though the root thereof wax old in the Earth, and the Stock

thereof die in the ground, Yet through the sent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant. But man dieth and wasteth away; Yea man giveth up the Ghost, and where is he? and ver. 14. If a man die shall he live again?

4. It is a certain, unavoidable Enemy. There is no defence to be made against it, no humane power can withstand it, no fortificati∣on of the body by utmost art can prevent its en∣trance; either by some violent storming, or Successive batteries, or longer seige it wil pre∣vail against the Stoutest defendants. Psal. 89. 48. What man is he that liveth and shall not see death? shall he deliver his Soul from the hand of the grave? The young, the strong, the healthful, the wise, the rich, the honourable; All have fall∣en, and shall fall under the power of this irresisti∣ble enemy. The experience of five thousand years and upwards, which the world hath had, is enough to Convince all the Living that they shall as certainly die as that they have been born.

5. It is an abhorred Enemy. Against which Nature relucts with the greatest passion, and from which it fleeth with greatest aversation It will never be reconciled to that which dissolv∣eth the nearest and most intimate union between Soul and body; which taketh in pieces the curious Workmanship, defiles the Glory, and stains the beauty of the goodliest body, which turns the lovely body into a loathsome Car∣kass, resolves it into corruption and putre∣faction, and gives it to the worms for meat.

No Antipathy greater than between Nature and Death. Skin for Skin, and all that a man hath will he give for his life. Job. 2. 4.

6. It is a formidable enemy, that affects a man with fear and terror. We read, Ps. 91. 5.—the terrour by night, that is Death. Job. 24. 17.—the terrours of the shadow of Death. Psal. 55. 4.—the terrours of Death, and Job. 18. 14. It is called the King of Terrors. i. e. The chief of Terrours. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Saith the Judgment of Nature, of all terribles the most terrible. This is Consequent upon the former. It being a Spoiling, surprising, destroying, irresistible, abhorred enemy, It must needs be very terrible. What a terror posses∣seds the Egyptians, when Death entred in at their doors, and slew their first born. Exod. 12. 30, 33. They were so affrighted that even Pharoah rose up in the night, he and all his Ser∣vants, and all the Egyptians, and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not an house where there was not one dead.—They said, we be all dead men. It is a threatning denounced by God, Deut. 28. 65, 66, 67. The Lord shall give thee a trembling heart. Why? Thy life shall hang in doubt before thee. And thou shalt fear day and night, and shalt have no assurance of thy life. In the morning thou shalt say, Would God it were Even; and at even thou shalt say, Would God it were morning, for the fear of thine heart wherewith thou shalt fear. The apprehension of this affrighted Gideon a mighty man of valour, till

the Lord encouraged him and said to him, Fear not, thou shalt not die, Judg. 6. 23. At this the King (Belshazzars) Countenance was chang∣ed and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joynts of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another, Dan. 5. 6. And who that is but a natural man, doth not experience trembl∣ing and astonishment at the approach and sight of Death? yea many times at the very thoughts. of it? The world of men doth generally bear witness to that which is written, Heb. 2. 15. that through fear of Death, they are all their life time Subject to bondage.

There are two things, (both in the context) which make Death so terrible. 1st. Sin, which the Apostle calleth the Sting of Death. It was by sin that death entred in the world, and it is by Sin that death reigneth in the world. The poison of the Serpent is in his sting, and the power of the Serpent is in his sting. So the poy∣son of Death is in sin, and the power of Death lieth in sin; without which though it killeth it cannot hurt. This is the only weapon where∣with Death is Armed against the Children of men, but it is a deadly one. That is a dreadful threatning indeed which our Saviour denounceth against the Jews, Joh. 8. 21. Ye shall die in your sins. According to what the Lord had be∣fore spoken by his Prophet, Ezek. 18. 24. In his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in the sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die. It is our sad case that we are born in sin, and worse

that we live in sin, but Oh! how dreadful and miserable to die in sin, in a state of sin, in the guilt of sin, under the reign and power of sin, in the arms and embraces of sin.

Sin being the transgression of a righteous Law, the violation of infinite Holiness and Justice, and rebellion against Divine Majesty and Au∣thority, it always hath demerit and guilt con∣sequent upon it, which obligeth and bindeth the sinner to undergoe that punishment which is naturally due to it. Which pun∣ishment is Death, Rom 1. 32.—they which Commit such things are worthy of death. Thus sin becomes the weapon or sting of Death, by which it hath power to destroy. Death cometh upon the Sinner as a bailiff or Sergeant from the Judge with warrant to apprehend and bring the Sinner to give account; or as an executioner to take vengeance, to pay the Sinner the just wages of his sin, for the reparation of a bro∣ken Law, for the satisfaction of offended Justice, for the Declaration of Divine hatred, and dis∣pleasure against sin, and for the manifestation of Gods Glorious power and wrath against the guilty. And what a terror must Death needs be when it appears in this shape, and armed with this sting! Know O presumptuous and secure Sinner; Though wickedness be now sweet in thy mouth and thou hidest it under thy tongue: Though thou swallowest down de∣liciously thy forbidden morsells of sensual plea∣sure and worldly gain, yet this meat will soon

be turned in thy bowels, and become the gall of asps within thee. At last, at death, it will bite as a serpent, and sting like an adder. What horrour will fill thy soul when approaching Death shall awaken thy sleepy Conscience, as oft times it doth, and thy awakened Conscience shall charge thee with thy inexcusable trans∣gression of a Righteous Law, thy gross neglect of Commanded duty, thy industerious provi∣sion to satisfie the flesh, thy ready compliance with the call of temptations, thy irreparable loss of precious time. Thy hypocritical deal∣ing with God in Covenant, the Stopping of thine eares at the voice of Conscience, the shut∣ting of thine eyes against the light of Scripture, the hardening of thy heart against the motions of the Spirit, thy unbelieving refusals of an offered Saviour, thy unprofitable misim∣provement of means of Grace, thy unthankful abuse of the mercies of God, and obstinate in∣corrigibleness under his Judgments, with many other instances of multiplyed and aggravated sins through a long life. Whence will arise dismal apprehensions of the wrath of an offend∣ed God, a certain fearful expectation of Judg∣ment to come, and a pre-occupation of eternal torments and everlasting burnings. This is that sting of Death, the weapon wherewith it is armed against thee, wherein Consists its power, and by which it is so terrible.

2. Add to this the strength which this sting hath from the Law. For saith the Apostle.

The strength of sin is the Law, and that two ways. 1st. As the Law discovers and convinceth of sin. Rom. 5. 13. Sin is not imputed where there is no Law. Men are not prone to charge themselves with sin, where there is no Law, therefore, Gal. 3. 19. the Law was added because of transgressions, that is, to make transgressions appear. Hence we read, Rom. 3. 20. By the Law is the knowledge of sin, and Rom. 7. 9, 13. I was alive without the Law once, in my own opinion, but when the Commandment came, Sin revived and I died I was convinced I was in a state of Sin and death. and v. 13. Sin by the Commandement becomes exceeding sinful. Thus sin as the sting of Death is strengthned by the Law, while men thereby are more cleerly and fully convinced of it, and the greater the conviction is, the sharper is the sting. 2ly. As the Law Curseth and condemn∣eth the sinner. Gal. 3. 10. Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things, which are written in the book of the Law to do them. hence as be∣fore, Rom. 7. 9. When the Commandment Came. I died. and 2 Cor. 3. 7. The Law is called the Ministration of death. The Law binds the sinner over to the Judgment of the great day. It holds him fast under his guilt without hope of pardon, passeth sentence of Condemnation upon him, and begins the execution by wounding the Spirit, terrifying the Soul with pre-apprehensions and foretasts of the wrath to come.

The sum of the terror of Death, is this. Approaching death awakeneth the secure Con∣science; Awakened Conscience charged with the guilt of sin; This sin is strengthened with a Convincing cursing Law; The dying wretch seeth his day of sensual delights and pleasures, his day of worldly gains and purchases, his day of Carnal fellowship with men, and espe∣cially his day of Grace and mercy with God, passing away; finds his Spirit fainting, his heart and flesh failing, anguish and pangs taking hold of him, and his soul forthwith to be Requir∣ed, Apprehended, Arrested, Summoned and haled out of his body, from all freinds, means helps and hopes, to appear naked before God the Judge of all men, to give an account of a sinful life, and to receive a righteous doom, viz. Depart from me ye Cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels and; then to go away into everlasting punishment. At this what heart of man can contain and possess himself without fear? Who but must be appalled, confounded, amazed, terrified? Knowing the terror, saith St. Paul, 2 Cor. 5. 1. Speaking of this appearance and account. Felix trembled, saith St. Luke, Act. 24. 25. When he heard of Judgment to come. It is a fearful looking for of Judgment and fierie in∣dignation, saith the Author to the Hebrews, chap. 10. 27. and a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God. ver. 31. Thus have we represented the Enemy Death, in its power

and pomp as it reigneth over the fallen Sons and Daughters of Adam, which appears so ter∣rible, that woe be to those that fall under the power of it.

2. We will now shew you this Enemy fallen and overcome before Believers.